Bo Dallas: Career Expectations for WWE Star Debuting in 2013 Royal Rumble

After winning an eight-man tournament at the 2013 Royal Rumble Fan Fest, NXT star Bo Dallas was awarded the chance to compete in Sunday’s 30-man over-the-top-rope Royal Rumble match to decide who will go on to main event WrestleMania 29, according to WWE.com.

Just a few days ago, most members of the WWE Universe knew little to nothing about the third-generation superstar, but now they’ll be exposed to Dallas in the most dramatic way possible: as one of the 30 men set to participate in the Rumble.

WWE loves the legacy of the business, and the fact that Dallas is the son of Mike Rotunda (aka I.R.S.), the nephew of Barry Windham and the grandson of legend Blackjack Mulligan means the company already sees his lineage as an inside lane to success.

The table is set for Dallas to succeed in WWE, and his chance to shine starts right now.

Short-Term Expectations

While it’s clear that WWE is behind the push of Dallas to the main roster for the road to WrestleMania 29—just look at the cover art from WWE.com’s NXT article that preceded the tournament—the fans should temper their expectations for the young star.

Despite the fact that the company could build Dallas into an instant success by letting him win the Royal Rumble, there are much bigger plans in the works, and the rub from just being in the match is enough for the fresh face.

It would be great to see Dallas last for a long time in the match and get some big eliminations, but it’s hard to tell exactly what WWE plans on doing with the third-generation star after the Royal Rumble.

Dallas should stay on the main roster instead of working with NXT again, and a big pop at the Rumble for the new superstar would cement his place in the major leagues.

Long-Term Expectations

The biggest factor in determining Dallas’ long-term expectations in WWE is his age. At 22 years old and already heading to the main roster, the young star is on the right track to being one of the top stars in the company for years to come.

Using the mold set by Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and other Superstars with a long lineage in the business, WWE will turn Dallas into a star and eventually give him a secondary title to prove that the future is bright for the World Championship-caliber star.

As long as Dallas used his previous DUI arrest as a learning experience (h/t PWTorch)—sometimes trouble can force a young star to re-evaluate and refocus their work ethic and lifestyle—there is no doubt that WWE is grooming him to be a future world champion.

It may take a few years to get to the main-event level, but there is little doubt that the third-generation superstar has the athleticism and the charisma to be a top draw in the future.

Hop on board the hype train now because the road to the top starts Sunday at the Royal Rumble.

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